The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-02-17

ent upon their daily labor for sup
port"
Under the provision of this
section any soldier, the Presi-
dent thinks, whose faculties oil
mind or body have become i'm
paired by accident, disease or
age, irrespective of his service in
the army, and who by his labor
only is left incapable of gaining
the fair support ne might with
unimpaired powers have provid-
ell for himself, and who is NOT so
well endowed with this world IS
goods as to live without work,
may claim to participate in its
bounty that it is not required
that he should be without prop
eriy, but only that labor should
be necessary 10 his support in
some degree, nor is it required
tha. he should be now receiving
support from others. Recent OBJ
servation and experience con-
strain the President to another
result sure to follow the
passage Of the bill. There
can be no doubt, he says, that
the race after pensions offered by
the bill would not only stimulate
weakness and pretended inca
pacity for labor, but put fur
ther premium on dishonesty and
mendacity. More than this,
while cost should not be sent
against a patriotic duty or the
recognition of a right, still, when
a measure proposed is based up
on generosity or motives of char
ity. it is not amiss to mediate
somewhat upon the strength il
involves. Experience, the Pres
ident says, has demonstrated all
that estimates concerning the
probable future cost Of a pen
sion list are uncertain and unre-
liable and always fall below re-
alization, and in support of his
assertion says: 'The Chairman
of the House Committee on pen
sions calculates that the number
of pensioners under this bill
would be 33,lO5, and the in
creased cost s4,767,120. This is
upon the theory that only those
who are
ENTIRELY UNABLE TO WORK.
would be its beneficiarles. Such
was the principle of the Revolu
tionary Pension law of 1878
much more clearly stated, it
seem 10 me, than in this bill.
When the law of 1918 was upon
its passage IN Congress, the num-
Der of pensioners 10 be benefit
ted thereby was thought to be
374; but The number of appli.
cants under the act vas 22,297,
and the number Of persons act
ually allowed 20,4S5, costing il
is reported, for the first year, ST.,
81, 900, instead of $4,000, the
estimated expense for that pc
riod. A law was passed in 1853
for the benefit of the surviving
widows OF Revolutionary soliiers
who were married after Jan. 1st.
| $500. H. Was estimated thst the y
numbered 800 at the time of the
passage OF the act bui 'tiIe mum
Der OF pensions allowed was g.
1i2, and the amount paid fol
such pensions during the frst
year ofihe operation of the acl
| was S1S0,O00 instead of $24, 600
as had been estimated. AT the
close OF the wa2 of the Rebel
lion every Northern State and &
great majority of Northern coun
ties and cities were burdeneC
with taxation on account of The
large bounties paid our soldiers,
and The bonded debt thereby
created still constitutes d lars,
item in the account of. The tax
gatherer against the people. Fed
eral taxation, no less borne by
the people than that directly lev
led upon their property, is still
maintained at the rate made nee.
essary by. the
EXIGENCIES OF WAR.
IF this bill shou id become {
Law, with its tremendous addition